Thank you!

I want to say thank you to all the people who have sent me well wishes, thoughts, and prayers since I tore my ACL at the end of March.  Your support is very much appreciated and I feel as though you are all a part of my posse!  Thank you!

 

 

 

In my notebook: Longing for green

In March I long for green.  Other places must see the color already out in nature.  In Wyoming there is more snow, more gray, the grass still brown.

I wait to see green, even imagine its presence, for as brief of a time that the color exists in the West's arid climate, sometimes the imagination is as close as one can get to such a color.

Foto Friday: Snowshoeing in the woods

My family and I had a very special visit from my aunt.  Snowshoeing in the falling snow was a perfect activity for us.  I believe my daughter was in pure bliss, a bed of snow to lie down upon.  I'm ready to get back out into the snow, the quiet; and so glad we could share an afternoon with her.

Finds in the Week: Logs at Sunset

 

At one of my favorite places to walk I was captured by the view of logs piled up in the lumber yard.  They looked as though they were waiting- for what? 

As I continued to walk the sky began to change colors and I loved the look of the contrast of wood that was once trees now laid horizontal, when so often I would instead see the logs as trees and pointed vertical towards the sky.

Perspective, perspective.

In my notebook...

I wrote this after having spent a couple of days hunting with my husband close to Laramie Peak.  We hiked for miles and, on more than one occasion, I was able to gaze upon the panoramic views surrounding us.  It's just a small portion of our time out.

The land we move across is so different than other stretches of the western plains.  Rocks and boulders create the hills we move across.  Miles of golden grass stretch out in all four directions and a person can see all the way to Elk Mountain; a slight shift in view over to the Seminoe Mountains; 100 miles or more away.  I thought I could be looking down a map.  Only a map cannot compensate for the way the sun casts shadows and makes one hill much more prevalent or a stretch of a depression in the landscape that much more distinct.

When I see this photo I think of freedom, that which comes from a soul that finds no hindrances.  The phrase, "To be a kid again", comes to mind, and I've said it plenty with a longing to run and play until the sun goes down.  To be a kid with no bills to worry about, no responsibilities other than growing and what to play next.  I'm glad my kids can find this freedom, because there are those in this world who don't get to grow up in this environment.

I would like to follow this road all day long.  In my mind I am right there gathering in all I see, especially the sky.  The sky has much to say.

An evening with Chris Thile, Bach...and my husband...

Recently my husband and I went to see Chris Thile when he performed at the University of Wyoming.

Wow!

In a way I could say three roads converged on that evening. Follow my line of thinking here for a moment.. In college I listened to Chris Thile (although the bluegrass side), I listened to Bach (even the crazy organ music which my sister will attest to), and I met my husband and fell in love. So there we were at the University of Wyoming, married, watching and listening as Chris Thile performed Bach. What was even more astounding than my ironic association of the evening, was the performance by Chris Thile.

I love music from the Baroque period, I love the mandolin, I love my husband, but listening and watching Chris Thile play Bach on the mandolin is something you must do yourself... Enjoy!

Chris Thile: Bach: 'Sonata No. 1 in G minor - II. Fuge Allegro,'

Rose hips

One of my favorite things to do during the fall season is to gather rose hips.  My husband, kids, and I were out in the woods in search of blue grouse when we came upon several patches of rose hips, red and ready to be picked.

Rose hips with a few Oregon grapes mixed in.

People make a variety of things with rose hips: jellies and jams, syrup, wines, and I even read that they can be dried and powdered and then fed to horses to improved coat condition.  I typically dry them and then during the winter make tea with them.

Rose hips are high in vitamin C, contain vitamin A and B and antioxidant properties, and have anti-inflammatory effects among other nutritional values.

It takes close to two weeks for the hips to dry.

Rose hips can also be purchased at herbal stores, but when the snow flakes fall, the experience and the memories of the time spent gathering them go right along with a fresh brewed cup of rose hip tea.

Rose hips washed and ready to be dried.

Dried rose hips ready to be made into tea.
To make tea, steep 1-2 tablespoons of rose hips in 1 cup of boiling water.  Strain the hips before drinking.

Cheap Labor

The fun begins, loosening the engine.

Back in June on a trip across the state, and at 340,000+ miles, the Camry we have been driving "unexpectedly" broke down.  As liquid poured and steamed out of the car my husband spoke the words which we did not want to hear, "That's not good."  Since he is an optimistic and positive person, when he says something is not good, it really means the worst. But even at 340,000+ miles the little purple car really only had one major problem- a dead engine.

With some research and time on the internet my husband soon found an engine for us to buy.  Originally from Japan and taken out of a car there with only 50,000 miles, our solution rested in Canada and my husbands words, "I think I can put it in myself."

After we imported the engine from Canada we embarked on a Labor Day adventure down to my dad's place- who graciously let us work there and use his Skid steer- with a Chilton Manual for a '98 Camry and a lot of hopeful thoughts towards getting the engine put in over the long weekend.

Once my husband dived into the whole process of the engine replacement we began to ask ourselves questions like: What if this engine doesn't work? What if we don't get it replaced in the amount of time we have?  Are we crazy for thinking we could even do this?



Ease that engine out of there!

My husband has never replaced an engine before.  But he does things that he has never done before quite often with a high success rate.  After many, many laborious hours on his part and help from my dad, the engine miraculously turned upon the first crank of the key. The car even moved down the road. We were thrilled!  And I was amazed, once again, at all the talents my husband possesses.  Our scheme of cheap labor certainly paid off!




Sorry, but an adult has to drive!

Just a little higher...

 

 

                                                           And it's out of there!

 

 

 Bring in the new one...

 

Not everybody has to work so hard!

Easy does it...

 Just a little more...

 

It's in!

 

Time for a test drive!

 

 

 

Finds in the week: Chokecherries

Chokecherries in the area- along with Oregon grape, currants, rose hips, and lots of other berries- are ripe and ready to be picked.

I found several of the said berries this weekend as we were out exploring, but focused on picking the chokecherries as they were much more prolific.  While my husband fly-fished my kids and I tried to pick chokecherries where we could at least reach them along the trail we walked, as so many more were down steep embankments.  Mr. Bear and the birds had already beat us, and thankfully weren't trying to compete with us at the same time.  Plenty of the chokecherries still had time to ripen, leaving more picking for another weekend.

Next step, chokecherry syrup.

Small Stone #25

Soon my family and I will be moving to Laramie, Wyoming, and this is what Small Stone #25 is in regards to.

I'm going to spend every last
morning that I have here
up at dawn
enjoying the birds, the soft light,
and the very day that breaks
over the Wind River Mountains.

Foto Friday: Back in the saddle

 

Our little girl has been overjoyed that she can now ride her horse.

Foto Friday: Surprise in the hay

The other day my husband lifted a bale of hay and there were seven baby rabbits sleeping in a nest their mamma made for them.  My kids were very excited to see them, and their presence in the hay has been the subject of several conversations in our house.  Seven all at once, my goodness.

Small Stone #21

Under a blue sky
and the song of a Meadowlark on my roof,
I work while I can;
a few hours in the soil,
my patch of earth.

Foto Friday: Boar's Tusk, Red Desert in Wyoming

Foto Friday: Colors of Yellowstone

I enjoy being in Yellowstone Natonal Park for several reasons, the colors found there are at the top of the list.  This one I took while waiting for Old Faithful to go off.  It was worth the wait, perhaps the best part.

Small Stones #18

Today I heard the chickadees. 

It has been very cold (-20 and below) and finally it warmed up to around 23 degrees Fahrenheit.  The chickadees sang their "chicka-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee" song, a very welcome verse to hear during the silence of winter.

Our snow has settled and the days stretch a little longer, as do the pink hues of the sun rises and sunsets along the mountains.  No longer does the very dark seep in to stay.

I'm sure more snow will come, but for now what rests is best kept silent, and our lives continue on.

Words in the Week: My words for 2013

With the 15th of January already here, the new year seems a bit far from "new".  Even still there are a few words that I'll keep present throughout the year as reminders of what I want to focus on throughout the year.  In many ways they are like stones for me, each one tossed into the river of my life for reflection and to hold on to when the waters become rough.

Simplify

Redemption

Hope

Peace

Friendship

Sister

Time

Dreams

Reality

Mountain

Hike

Reserve

Patience

Follow

Foto Friday: Kings in cottonwoods

I found these two bald eagles perched up in the cottonwoods taking a break on a cold winter day. They paid me no mind as I took their photo.  Instead they looked on, and what seemed to me, in a gallant manner with strength and dignity.  They are the kings in the cottonwoods, rulers of their territory.